March was just great! Why?

Well, for one thing, the world seems to be emerging from the worst of Covid, as all the sensible people are now vaccinated and boosted.  This at least means that we can circulate and mingle with the fear of severe illness and death pretty much removed.  It’s been a terribly wearying and scary time for everyone, and it certainly seems like March heralds a new beginning …

Workshops are back!

Workshops at the studio at 550 Swan Street Richmond are now in full swing again.  And the absolute joy of running workshops – as well as seeing so many old friends again – and re-learning how to chat and socialise – is that you never know what people will make – everyone makes something different – and the creativity shown by people who insist they are not ‘creative’ is just delightful.

Do you like these recent coaster designs by my students?  Serving drinks in their homes is going to be so much more stylish from now on!

For more information about this coaster workshop click just here.

Make your own Cheeseboard

We enjoyed coaster workshops galore, and during March I decided to add a new class where you can make a Cheeseboard … and some people booked in and started creating this lovely item of tableware right away.

Here are some of the successes from this brand new workshop where you can make your very own original Cheeseboard in premium art glass.  Do you fancy one for your home to impress your guests, or maybe as a gift for someone you cherish? Well, I just can’t wait see what you make.  And thank you to everyone who has booked in already – it’s going to be such fun!

In case you need more motivation to book into this class, here are some past images from successful cheeseboards that were created in my studio.    I hope this makes you feel as though this is something fabulous and functional that you can definitely achieve with my help.  Here’s the link to find out more about the Cheeseboard workshop.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Baguette-shaped platters

My ‘FRENCH MEADOW’ workshops (named after the first design done in this shape) have been super popular again this March!

Here are some of the fabulous baguette-shaped pieces that have been produced during this class: the first one I’ll show you is actually an interpretation of the student’s home at Chelsea Beach, which she was more inspired by than flowers.  Fair enough too – it’s all about liberating your own ideas.

But while she created this lovely rendition of the seaside, her friend made dozens of flowers to adorn our more usual French Meadow design.

Click here to find out about the French Meadow Baguette Platter Workshop.

Framed art glass

We have another new workshop which we believe will be hugely popular, where you make a piece of modern art and I’ll mount it and frame it in a beech box frame for you  You can see here a couple of the pieces of modern glass art that were produced here in March 2022!  Amazing aren’t they?

The link to our Modern Art in a Frame Workshop is right here for you!

Light up your life with tea-light candle sconces

Now: have you ever thought about having little candles around your home, but just can’t find anything to you liking?  Here’s the solution, make your own and love the play of light and colour when you light them, again and again.

In a brand new workshop (just a convenient 90 minutes duration) you’ll make 4 cute little candle sconces.  Bring some friends, and I’ll fire them in my kiln and when you collect them, all you have to do is take them home and light them up.  Joy, joy!  Everything you need is included!  All the gumpf about the candle sconce workshop is right here for you.

But hurry – this workshop only runs until September, which is when we introduce our Christmas-themed workshops so you can get your gifts all made in time.

Are you an Absolute Beginner? Come on down!

As you would expect, I have seen some glorious platters made by Absolute Beginners!  It’s such fun reuniting with old friends and meeting new people, and finding out about careers that I never knew existed.  How lucky am I to have a job where I can play, create and learn all at the same time?

Anyway, here are some of the images of people with their platters, also made throughout March 2022, who also enjoyed learning all about glass and its properties, going home enthused and inspired! In fact, some booked into a second course straight away.

Believe it or not, yes, these are beginners with their very first pieces! I see, again and again, how people who don’t think they have a creative bone in their body are actually wonderfully artistic.  All they need is the encouragement to have a go!  This is the link to the Absolute Beginners Plate Making Workshop.

As well as these great platters, there were all sorts of other happy things happening in our studios: one person created jewellery to take home to South Africa as personalised and unforgettable gifts for her sisters, I have started playing with acrylics on canvas, and I’ve been adding glass designs to “art boards” and also trialling new watercolour techniques. There’s always something new to try!

So: March was a wonderful, encouraging and busy month.  April is actually going to be a bit less busy and I have fewer classes scheduled and more time simply playing in my studio and finishing the glass works created towards the end of March for my students.

P.S. – Don’t forget Alcohol Inks

I’m not going to add the dozens of pictures of amazing Alcohol Ink Art that people have made in our Alcohol Ink Classes, but here’s just three examples and a very brief 9 second video to show you how easy this gorgeous and increasingly popular artform really is. https://www.jenieyolland.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/IMG_6780-1.mov 

Yes, it’s time for us all to summon our courage and get back into ‘life’ again, at your very own pace, and with all it’s wonderful opportunities.

So: what did you get up to this March? And more importantly, what do you have planned?

Thanks, as always, for reading and being interested in Art!

Love, Jenie x

 

Tags: alcohol ink cheeseboard coasters creativity fused glass glass art handcrafted glass happy days Jenie Yolland jensstudio kilnformed glass March Melbourne Richmond workshop workshop